Nightcrawler meets Rudolph
by Rowena Zahnrei
Summary: A freak accident lands Nightcrawler, Wolverine, and Jamie in the world of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It's not as silly as it sounds! This story is loaded with action and it has a twist ending.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any of these characters. Rudolph, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, and all the others were legends in their own right long before I got to them--before I was even born, actually. Wow. Please don't steal my story!

NOTE: This story takes place in an alternate reality all its own. Its basic setting is Evolutionverse, but Kurt is a teacher at the Institute instead of a student. I'm not sure why, it just came out that way.

And now, without further ado...On with the show!

The Incredible Nightcrawler meets Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

A Fractured Christmas Tale by Rowena

First Time Showing

Admission is Free!

Chapter 1

Jamie Madrox popped his brand-spanking new DVD into the player, then crawled under the warmly lit Christmas tree, feeling for the plug that would douse the small pinpricks of multi-colored light gracing its fragrant branches. With the glare now gone from the large television screen, Jamie hopped onto the over-stuffed couch, grabbed the remote control, and settled down to enjoy his movie.

Jamie, being one of the youngest of the students at Professor Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters, practically never had control of the remote. Feeling its cool, plastic weight in his hand was sheer bliss. For once, he had the television all to himself and he was watching a movie he wanted to see. He only wished he had someone he could share it with, someone who wouldn't make fun of him for liking such an old, childish movie...

"Guten Abend, Jamie," a softly accented voice greeted from the doorway. Jamie adjusted his lounging position on the sofa just enough to see the newcomer--or rather, his glowing, yellow eyes. The fine, velvet-like midnight fur of the German-born Kurt Wagner tended to blend so well with shadows that he became functionally invisible in the dark.

"Oh, hi Mr. Wagner," Jamie grinned, sitting up and waving him in. "I was just about to watch my new DVD. Wanna see it with me?"

Kurt Wagner stepped into the room, looking around for signs of any other children. It was late, just past 10PM, but during vacation the recreation room was usually filled with kids arguing over which programs to watch on TV, playing board games, or just chatting. This night, however, it was completely empty except for thirteen-year-old Jamie.

"Where are all the other children, Jamie?" Kurt asked.

Jamie grunted. "Oh, they're a bunch of wusses. I showed them my new DVD and told them I just had to watch this movie tonight because it's my absolute favorite, and they all ran away screaming."

Kurt tilted his head as he took up his usual perch on the back of the sofa. "Is it a horror film, then?"

Jamie stared at him for a moment, incredulous. Then he burst out laughing. Kurt was, understandably, quite confused.

"What did I say?"

"Gee whiz, man! A horror movie!" Jamie considered for a moment. "Well, there is an Abominable Snowman. I gotta admit he scared me pretty bad when I was little. But even he's not a real bad guy, at least, not at the end."

Kurt nodded patiently with a small smile. "Jamie, perhaps it would be helpful if you were to tell me the title of this film, ja?"

"Oh, right, yeah! It's _Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer_! An all-time Christmas classic, no matter what all the other guys say!"

Kurt wrinkled his dark brow. "I have heard of the song by that name, but I was unaware that there was a film as well."

Jamie nearly fell off the sofa. "No way! There's a movie that _you_ haven't heard of? Someone call Dr. McCoy, I think I'm having a heart-attack!"

Kurt chuckled, unconsciously raising a hand to cover his sharp teeth. "It does seem impossible, ja? But if you like it so much, it certainly cannot be bad. Shall I stay and watch it with you?"

Jamie beamed. "Oh, yeah, please?! I love this movie, but I've seen it so many times, you know? It'll be great to actually get to share it with somebody."

Kurt smiled fondly at the boy, then flicked his gaze to the television set. "Ach, the advertisements are over. I believe the film is about to begin."

Jamie suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Um, I gotta warn you, though, some of the songs in this are sort of, well, cheezy. But the story's really good even so, so don't give up on it, OK?"

Kurt chuckled again, the swaying of his long, prehensile tail emphasizing his amusement. "Jamie, do not worry so! I am here for the duration, and I promise I will not judge your film until I have experienced it in its entirety."

Jamie smiled. "Experienced? Cool, I like that. Oh, quiet now! It's starting!" Jamie sat back and turned his attention to the glowing screen. Kurt watched his enraptured young face for a reflective moment, then turned his focus to the screen as well. He was just in time to see a plump, animated snowman begin his tale of the misfit reindeer who saved Christmas.

* * *

Wolverine tossed and turned, kicking and twisting his rumpled sheets as he fought, unsuccessfully, to shove two large pillows into his hyper-sensitive ears. Some heartless fiend was watching some kind of sappy kid's flick in the recreation room two levels down. The volume was relatively low, but to Wolverine the simple, sugary Christmas tunes might as well have been blasting in from the next room. He shuddered as the sound of childish voices raised in song forced their way through the thick pillows to pummel his eardrums. It was an agonizing torture he should not have to put up with this late at night.

His dark eyes burning with barely contained frustration brought on by forced sleep deprivation, Wolverine ground his teeth, tore out of bed, and stormed down the hall. The burly Canadian fully intended to intimidate the youthful offender into abandoning his or her late-night activities and getting into bed where he or she belonged, even if it meant he had to physically carry the kid there himself.

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

It was young Rudolph's first day at reindeer school. His concerned father had made him a special cap to hide his glowing, red nose so the other children wouldn't make fun of him. Unfortunately, this deception would not last long. Just as Rudolph began to settle in with his peers, even finding the courage to start a tentative conversation with a pretty young doe, the cap came off and his glowing nose was revealed to all and sundry.

Kurt couldn't repress an audible wince of sympathy as the unfortunate young reindeer was taunted and teased by his peers, particularly the blonde buck who had been so friendly only minutes before, back when he thought Rudolph was 'normal'.

Jamie looked up at him, his bright eyes reflecting his compassion for Rudolph's plight. "See," he said softly. "I told you this was a good movie."

Kurt nodded. "Yes. What I have seen so far is significant on many levels. In its own way, this film is dealing with the same complicated issues that affect mutants today. I wonder how many 'normal' people are watching this, opening their hearts and minds to our side of the so-called 'Mutant Problem'."

There was a soft grunt from the direction of the darkened doorway. Both Jamie and Nightcrawler gave a startled jump, then turned to face the newcomer.

"Not enough, bub," Wolverine responded, leaning casually against the wooden door frame. "Believe me, Elf, it'll take way more than some dumb kid's flick to get people to accept mutants."

Kurt lowered his head, regarding Wolverine through his impossibly long eyelashes. "Of course you are right, Herr Logan," he acknowledged. "But, the very fact that films like this exist gives me hope that understanding and acceptance is an achievable goal."

Wolverine rolled his dark eyes. "You're just deluding yourself if you think- -"

"Shhhhh!" Jamie hissed, an angry finger pressed to his lips. "I really like this song, so could you two keep it down, please?"

Wolverine raised an eyebrow, but he kept his mouth closed. Nightcrawler quickly found himself entranced by the hopeful lyrics of the sweet song the kind doe Rudolph had met earlier was now singing. _"There's always tomorrow for dreams to come true, believe in your dreams come what may..."#_

"I must admit, I like this Clarisse, " Nightcrawler smiled as the song came to an end. His expression softened and his luminescent eyes grew distant. "She reminds me of--" He caught himself, clamping his mouth shut before he said too much. Wolverine and Jamie regarded him curiously.

"Reminds you of what?" he pressed.

"Nothing," Nightcrawler said curtly, his normally open expression now closed tight against the pain of memory. "Just a girl I knew once...a long time ago, when I was still with the circus. It is not important."

Wolverine tilted his head, his flinty eyes narrowed, but he didn't press any further. Nightcrawler was entitled to his privacy if that's what he wanted. After all, Wolverine wasn't the only one allowed to have secrets. Jamie just shrugged and turned back to his movie.

Just then, there was a strange flicker from the TV screen. The trio initially passed it off as an effect of the snowstorm outside, but as the scene shifted to Santa's Workshop, where Hermie the Elf was striving to become a dentist despite adverse conditions, the annoying flicker only became more intense. Kurt was forced to shield his sensitive eyes while Jamie groaned and stood up, quickly crossing the space between the couch and the television with the intention of giving the set a good whack, even at the risk of duplicating himself.

What happened next caused even Logan to drop his jaw in shock. Some kind of strange portal unfolded from the flickering television screen, enfolding Jamie in its swirling vortex, swallowing him so quickly that the boy barely had time to make a sound.

"Was ist diese Zauberei?!"## Nightcrawler exclaimed, his golden eyes wide with terror, too startled to remember to speak in English.

"What the f--" Wolverine's shocked contribution was cut off as the portal continued to grow, rapidly stretching towards the sofa where Nightcrawler sat, seemingly frozen, his tail lashing in horrified agitation.

"Elf, move!" he roared, rushing towards his stunned companion.

"Nein! I can see him!" Nightcrawler responded, his luminescent gaze focused on some point beyond the expanding portal. "Fortunately, he has not duplicated himself. If I time this right, I might be able to teleport him out of there!"

"It's too late!" Wolverine grunted with furious frustration as he found his heavy, adamantium-laced body suddenly helpless against the irresistible force of the swirling vortex. "We're getting pulled inside!"

There was a blinding flash of pure, white light, then there was only silence. The recreation room was left empty and dark as sparks flew from the electrical outlet where the TV and DVD player were plugged in. Both appliances lost power at the same time. The only evidence of what had occurred was the sofa, which had fallen on its back when the portal enveloped Nightcrawler.

In a vast mansion filled with peaceful sleepers, only Professor Xavier's slumber was in any way disturbed by these strange events, and all he did was to mumble a few words in his sleep, then roll over.

#Music and Lyrics by Johnny Marks

##What is this sorcery?!


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter 3

Jamie woke up with snow in his mouth and a ringing in his ears. Carefully pushing himself up onto his hands and knees, Jamie shivered violently in the biting winter cold, feeling completely confused and disoriented.

Where was he? How did he get here? And why couldn't he seem to remember anything more than his name?

"Do you mind?" a sulky voice came from behind him. "I'd kind of like to be alone, thank you very much."

Jamie rose to his feet and looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice that had interrupted his thoughts. A young reindeer faun was sitting slumped dejectedly against the narrow trunk of a small fir tree that had been hung with festive decorations of silver and gold. Jamie's eyes widened as he realized he recognized this reindeer from somewhere.

"Did you speak just now?" he asked the depressed deer.

The young buck looked up at him, his large, luminous eyes shiny with unshed tears. "Just leave me alone, OK," he said, his childish voice trembling slightly. "I'm a misfit and a reject and I don't want any company right now."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," said Jamie. An impression of a memory, jogged loose by the reindeer's words, was slowly working its way to the surface of his mind. "But, you see, I'm a misfit and a reject too."

The reindeer looked up at him surprised. "You look like a normal elf to me," he said. He tilted his head, fixing the boy with an appraising look. "Your ears are a little small, though."

Jamie looked down at himself, surprised to see that he was dressed in a strange blue outfit with a pink sash. The toes of his boots were slightly pointed. Something in the back of his mind told him this was wrong somehow, that he wasn't an elf and that these weren't his regular clothes, but it was a small voice, easily overpowered by his growing curiosity about the talking reindeer before him.

"Yeah, well, maybe, but I'm not normal," he said. "Not by a long shot. I've got this weird power, you see." He wasn't sure why, but he felt compelled to explain further. "Whenever I hit something or something hits me, or even if I happen to stomp my foot too hard, I somehow create duplicates of myself. It's really weird. If you ask me, it's the dumbest power I've ever heard of. I mean, what good is it, really?"

The reindeer rose gracefully to his feet, his head tilted in curiosity. "No, it's not dumb. That's really neat," he said, a small smile growing on his face. "I've never heard of an elf who could do that before!"

Jamie shrugged. "Yeah, well, that's why I'm an outcast."

Rudolph pawed the snow in a thoughtful manner, a mischievous glint glowing in his over-large eyes. "So," he said, lowering his head, "if I were to head-butt you right in the middle-"

Jamie saw where this was going and held out his hands defensively. "No!" he exclaimed. "Please, don't. It's such a strain...and each of the multiples kind of has a mind of his own. It's hard for me to control them."

Rudolph pondered this for a moment, then stood down. "OK," he said. "But I do want to see your power in action sometime."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure it'll happen soon enough. I'm probably the most accident-prone guy I know. I'm bound to trip or bang into something sooner or later."

Sighing deeply, Jamie shuffled his feet in the snow, trying to think of a way to shift the subject away from his mutation. "What about you?" he asked. "Why are you moping about out here in the snow?"

The young reindeer stared at him. "Can't you see?" he asked, incredulously. "It's as plain as the shiny red nose on my stupid face. No one wants to play with a red-nosed reindeer." He hung his head as he admitted, "Even my parents are ashamed of me."

Jamie looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "Hey, I can certainly relate to that," he said. When the reindeer looked back up at him, Jamie favored him with a friendly smile.

"My name's Jamie," he said, holding out his hand. The reindeer looked at it for a moment, then raised a hoof to touch his palm.

"Rudolph," he said. "Rudolph Donnerson."

"Pleased to meet you, Rudolph," Jamie beamed.

* * *

His memory was gone. Again. His entire mind was a blank--a vast, yawning expanse that gnawed achingly at his shredded psyche, taunting him with shadowy hints of people and places he once knew but could no longer recognize or even bring into focus. The vacant valleys of his mind echoed the cold, blank landscape that glinted at him in the sunlight, forcing him to squint against the harsh, frozen glare. Smooth, unmarked white snow covered the ground in all directions as far as the eye could see. The emptiness frightened him, maddened him, angered him beyond all reason.

The small scrap of conscience that remained to him tried to control these roiling emotions, tried to force him to think logically, to uncover the events that had led to his predicament. But this small voice was soon bowled over and trampled by a raging rush of instinct and fury as a faint scent reached his sensitive nostrils. He knew that scent. It was the scent of an animal, a young deer.

The nameless creature lowered himself into a feral crouch, all his senses on the alert. The barren landscape had unleashed a monster within him. And that monster was hungry.

* * *

"So, where are we going, anyway?" Jamie asked as he stepped carefully through the deep snow. Rudolph didn't look up.

"Don't care," he said bluntly. "Just so long as it's far away. I know when I'm not wanted." The young deer tried valiantly to hold back a sob, but failed. Jamie looked over to him with sympathetic eyes.

"The world's pretty big," he said in a comforting tone. "I'm sure there's a place out there where a couple of misfits like us would be welcome. All we have to do is keep on walking until we get there."

Rudolph looked up, his skeptical eyes tinged with a faint sparkle of hope. "You really think so?" he asked.

Jamie spoke with a deep confidence he didn't quite understand as the faint image of a kind man in a wheelchair flitted through his thoughts.

"I know so," he smiled.

Rudolph regarded him with his huge, bright eyes. "You know something, Jamie?" he said. "I believe you."

* * *

The scent was much stronger now. His future meal was moving towards him. The creature felt his mouth start to water as the young deer and its human companion turned a corner, obliviously walking straight into his path. The human boy was little more than a child. He certainly posed no threat or obstacle to the fierce, famished monster.

The nameless creature stalked forward, skillfully using the snowy hills as cover. If he timed this right, the pair would never know what hit them.

* * *

A light snow had begun to fall. Rudolph looked up at the darkening sky, an expression of foreboding growing on his face. He recognized the signs. They would likely be hit by a blizzard before nightfall if they didn't find shelter soon.

"Have you ever heard the legends of the Abominable Snowman?" he asked Jamie with a shiver.

Jamie's mind tingled with recognition, but try as he might he couldn't pull out the relevant memory. "I think so," he responded. "I don't remember, though. Why do you ask?"

Rudolph sighed. "A blizzard's headed this way. From the stories I've heard, it's during heavy snowstorms like this that the Abominable likes to attack. If we don't find shelter before dark, we'll be sitting ducks. Not only that, but with the snow covering our footprints--"

Jamie knew the rest. "--there'll be no way anyone will ever find us." He turned to face his friend. "But, isn't the Abominable Snowman just a myth? I somehow remember knowing he wasn't real."

Rudolph shivered again. "I hope you're right. But just in case, I think we should--"

The young deer was cut off by a feral roar that cut through the silent snow like the explosion of an arsenal filled with fresh gunpowder. The two friends were too startled to think, too terrified to move. A monster was leaping out at them, his muscular arms splayed out, his broad fists seemingly clutching several long, deadly knives. He was dressed only in animal skins and he was covered with coarse, black hair.

Rudolph didn't even have time to scream before the monster was on him, his weight crushing the reindeer's small, frail body into the deep snow. He caught a glimpse of the man's fist--just enough for his stunned mind to realize the man wasn't clutching knives at all. Rather, six long, metal claws somehow sprouted from between his knuckles. Rudolph lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the deadly blow that would bring all his troubles to a sudden and gruesomely permanent end.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

His prey was cringing beneath him, its large eyes squeezed tightly shut against the inevitable blow that would sever its head from its scrawny body. The nameless creature allowed himself a brief second to savor the moment, to feel the trembling of his prey before landing the final slash. A broad grin spread across his rugged features, his flint-black eyes narrowed in savage anticipation. He brought his arm down, his claws extended, his blood near boiling with the thrill of the kill...

All at once, the creature's senses were blinded by a brilliant flash accompanied by a muffled BAMF of exploding air and the sudden, inexplicable reek of brimstone. A narrow, wiry weight was twining itself around his torso, then, BAMF! Just as suddenly and inexplicably, the creature found himself "somewhere else." His prey and its young companion were nowhere to be seen. His senses were running wild with confused disorientation as the mysterious weight that had wrapped itself around his chest let him go, sending him spinning and completely off-balance into the snow.

Leaping to his feet with a furious yowl, the creature spun to face his attacker, extending his claws with a metallic SNIKT. To his shock, his claws were met with a flash of steel that seemingly came out of nowhere.

"If you are going to attack defenseless children," a deep, accented voice threatened, "you will find you must get through me first."

The creature's attacker was a tall, slender man wrapped from head to toe in warm, fur-lined clothing that, despite its bulk, somehow managed to accentuate his lean, powerful physique. All that was visible of the man's face were two eerily glowing yellow eyes, apparently floating in the black shadows of his hooded cloak. The creature felt an involuntary chill run through him when he saw the deadly intent gleaming in those golden eyes. The shocking sight was enough to allow him one single, brief moment of clarity before the unthinking rage overpowered his mind once again.

"I know you," he managed to grunt out, feeling himself rapidly losing the battle against his baser instincts.

"I am pleased to hear my reputation has preceded me," the mysterious figure responded with some humor in his voice, twisting his swords to force the creature's arms to his sides and taking up a simple defensive stance that was wrought with menace.

"Be warned, fiend," the cloaked man said, his accent lending a clipped edge to each of his words. "Any who attack the innocent and the defenseless unprovoked must answer to me. For I am Schwarzwald Kurt, and it is my sworn duty to protect those who cannot defend themselves from those who would persecute them."

"Grand speeches and noble causes ain't my line, bub," the nameless creature growled, rubbing his knuckles as he retracted his claws. "You separated me from my dinner. Sooner or later, you're gonna know first hand what it feels like to have your guts skewered on six inches of cold, hard adamantium."

To his surprise and growing anger, the cloaked man laughed, sticking one of his swords into the snow and leaning on the hilt with the non chalant air of one who is completely confident of his abilities. With a slightly foppish tip of his shadowed head and a mock salute with his remaining sword, Schwarzwald Kurt said, "Then we agree to disagree. I have no doubt as to your word, mein Herr. But before I leave and we begin this little game of asking ourselves who is the hunter and who is the prey, might I have the honor of my enemy's name?"

The nameless creature stiffened. Schwarzwald Kurt's question rattled in the gaping chasm of his memory, knocking loose several disassociated images. A strange lab that looked like something out of a bad science fiction movie... A young girl with a long, brown ponytail looking up at him with such trust in her eyes, so certain that he wouldn't hurt her despite his fearsome rage... A small, fierce predatory animal running through the snows of Canada, its bloodied fangs bared... A man's voice, cruel and smooth with just a hint of the South lingering at its edges "...Wolverine..."

The creature gasped and stepped back, growling fiercely when Schwarzwald Kurt moved forward. The strange man's scent and body language suggested that he was concerned. How dare he presume....!

"I am the Wolverine," the creature snarled, furious at himself for displaying such weakness in front of an enemy.

The cloaked man stopped his advance and nodded once.

"A fitting name," he observed. "Fare well, Herr Wolverine," he said, his formerly playful tone deadly serious once more. "We shall meet again."

Sheathing his swords with one fluid, well practiced movement, Schwarzwald Kurt vanished in a puff of blue-black smoke and a BAMF of imploding air. If it weren't for the lingering stench of sulfur and the memory of the man's accented voice ringing in his mind, the Wolverine would have been tempted to believe he had imagined the entire episode. As it was, the Wolverine's tattered mind was already working to find a suitable revenge to wreak on this Schwarzwald Kurt, once he tracked him down...

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

"Calm down!" Jamie cried, frantically struggling to still the panicking deer.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

"Take a breath, for goodness sakes!"

" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

"He'll hear you if you don't stop that screaming!"

"AAAAAAA--!" Rudolph broke off, taking a deep, ragged breath. His scrawny body was trembling so badly it looked as though he was standing on the lid of a kettle on the verge of boiling over. Tears streamed from his wide eyes as his frantic screams died down to violent sobs that racked his small frame. Never before had the young deer come so close to death. Never before had he felt such fear grip his soul. Jamie's desperate words of comfort did nothing to soothe him. It was doubtful he even heard them.

BAMF!

Jamie spun on his heel, nearly losing his balance in the deep snow and risking multiplication. He had heard that sound before, just before the horrific monster that had leapt from out of nowhere onto his friend had so inexplicably vanished. Terrified almost beyond the capacity for rational thought, Jamie forced his mind to work and his eyes to focus as he took in the dark, shadowy figure before him.

"Guten Tag, Kinder," the cloaked figure said in some strange foreign language Jamie didn't know. "I have come to help you. I have taken the man who attacked you far away. It should be several hours before he can find your scent again, but believe me, he will find it. When he does, it will not be good for your little reindeer friend."

Jamie narrowed his eyes, unwilling to trust such a dark, malevolent figure on words alone. "Who are you?" he asked, trying to keep his trembling voice strong and steady. "Why would you want to help us?"

The shadowy figure tilted his cloaked head forward in a curt nod of acknowledgment. "A fair question, mein Junge. I am called Schwarzwald Kurt. It is my sworn duty to protect those who are in trouble. And right now, mein Freund, you are in very deep trouble indeed."

"What do you mean?" Jamie squeaked, no longer able to keep up any pretense of false bravado.

"I mean that the Abominable Snowman is not a legend or a myth," the cloaked man said darkly, his yellow eyes glowing eerily from the depths of his shadowy hood. "A blizzard is on its way, and if you two do not make it to shelter before it hits, the Wolverine will be the least of your troubles."

An anguished, impassioned groan sounded from the snowbank. Jamie turned just in time to see Schwarzwald Kurt appear next to Rudolph, holding him back from ramming his head into the side of the icy mountain.

"Harming yourself at this moment would not be a wise course of action, mein Freund," the cloaked man berated gently. "You must be strong if you are to survive the night."

Rudolph groaned again, louder this time. "Why me?" he demanded. "Why does everything bad and rotten always have to happen to me? It's not bad enough that I have to live with this horrid, red schnozz glowing in my eyes every waking moment, oh no. I have to be ridiculed by all the other reindeer, pitied by Santa, attacked by a wild man with claws, and hunted by an Abominable Snowman in the middle of a blizzard. I ask you again, why me?"

Schwarzwald Kurt shrugged. "Why not you?"

Jamie blinked. Clearly, Schwarzwald Kurt was not one who approved of self- pity. Rudolph's responding groan was closer to a frustrated roar.

"Hey look," Jamie said, resting a comforting hand on the deer's narrow shoulder. "If it's any comfort, we're both in the same boat."

"Yeah," Rudolph snorted. "A boat full of holes." He sighed. "We're sunk."

"Please, Kinder, have some faith!" Schwarzwald Kurt protested. "I've told you I'm here to protect you. And protect you I shall."

He held out a mittened hand. "Do you accept my services?"

Jamie looked to Rudolph, who looked to Jamie, who looked back at Kurt.

"What do you look like under that hood?" Jamie asked, amazed at his boldness and terrified of how the strange man might respond to the blunt question.

To the shock of both youngsters, the cloaked man laughed. It was a warm, slightly bashful sound; the laugh of a man who was not too proud to laugh at himself. "Of course," he said. "If I want you to trust me, I must first offer a gesture of trust in you, is that right?"

Jamie and Rudolph looked at each other, then nodded.

The dark man sighed, appearing strangely nervous as he reached up with his mittened hands and pulled back his fur-lined hood.

Both Jamie and Rudolph gasped as one, their eyes wide with fear.

"Oh, come on," Schwarzwald Kurt said, sounding slightly hurt. "I'm not all that bad." He grinned, his sharp fangs flashing in his blue, fuzzy face. "I've been told by quite a few Frauleins that I'm actually rather cute--in a dashingly handsome, roguish kind of way."

The two boys just stared at him. Kurt sighed.

"Look, I was born this way, all right? I'm just a harmless, blue fuzzball really."

Jamie couldn't help it. He broke out laughing at the expression on Kurt's face. "I'm not so sure about the harmless part," he said. "What did you do to that Wolverine thing anyway?"

"Ach, that is my special power," Kurt explained, with a grin. "I am a teleporter. A very useful gift for getting out of tight spots in a hurry." He rubbed at his sharply pointed ears with a furry mitten. The tips, which poked through his short, wavy hair, were already at risk of frostbite. "Do you mind if I replace my hood now?" he asked. "There seems to be a slight chill in the air."

Rudolph shrugged, a strange-looking gesture for a reindeer. "Go ahead," he said. "Wouldn't want you turning any bluer."

Jamie shot him a disapproving glare. "That wasn't very nice," he scolded. "Don't you see? He's a misfit like us!"

Kurt blinked as he tied his hood securely in place. "I don't know about being a 'misfit', but I do know what it is like to be hated and feared for being different. That is why I have sworn to devote my life to protecting those who cannot defend themselves from those who would persecute them out of hatred and fear. Or, in the case of the two fiends we must worry about at the moment, out of hunger."

Rudolph shuddered. "Do you mean that wild man really wanted to eat me?" he asked softly.

Kurt nodded, his glowing eyes surprisingly gentle. Rudolph shuddered again and lowered his head. Jamie reached over and scratched him companionably between his stumpy antlers.

At that moment, a sudden, biting wind blew over them, bringing with it the first fat snowflakes of the approaching blizzard.

"We must get a move on," Schwarzwald Kurt said briskly. "I know of a safe place we can stay for the night, only a couple hours walk from here. I would teleport you, but I am afraid the strain would leave us too weak to prepare a decent fire. Follow me."

Jamie turned to Rudolph as Schwarzwald Kurt turned on his over-large fur- wrapped feet and headed off at a brisk pace.

"Well?" he asked the deer. "This whole running away thing was your idea. Do we follow him or what?"

Rudolph looked back at the large crater in the snow behind him, the only physical evidence of the wild man's ferocious attack aside from several throbbing bruises on Rudolph's legs and side.

"Yeah, we follow him," he said. "Hurry up! It's already getting hard to see him in all this snow!"

"Not that we really have to worry about that," Jamie laughed. "Not with your nose lighting our way!"

* * *

As the two children ran to catch up with their new guide, a white mound-- easily mistaken for one of the many snow-blanketed hills that defined the blank, white landscape--began to move. With a yawn and a sleepy blink, the living mound rose to its enormous, padded feet, shaking the clinging snow from its long, tangled, white fur.

...R..r..r..uu..uuu..mmm..mm..bbbb..bbb..llll.lllll..eeeeeee....

The creature looked down at its ample stomach with an almost comical expression of befuddlement. Resting a huge, dangerously clawed paw over the offending area, the sticky gears in its tiny brain slowly lurched into motion. A rumbly stomach must mean that he was hungry.

Looking around for any sign of food, the enormous creature's dull eyes were drawn to a tiny, moving dot, nearly invisible in the thickly falling snow. The dot was glowing with a faint, reddish light. Maybe, if he followed it, it would lead him to something crunchibly, munchably lunchable.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

The fog was as thick as peanut butter. The snow was swirling down so heavily that he could barely see his dogs up ahead as they desperately tried to pull his loaded sleigh.

"Mush!" Yukon Cornelius cried, causing the dogs to yap with eager effort. "Mush!"

"Um, excuse me, but are you sure that this is the way to that gold mine you were telling me about?" a diminutive, blonde elf inquired from his perch atop one of Cornelius' supply sacks. "Because, and pardon me for mentioning this, it is beginning to seem that we are lost."

"Now is that any way to talk, young Howie?" the stocky prospector bellowed over the howling wind.

"Hermie," the young elf corrected. The prospector didn't seem to hear him.

"We're on a grand adventure!" the bearded man continued with lusty enthusiasm. "We're out to dig us some gold! GOLD!" he exclaimed, pulling his pick from his belt and tossing it carelessly into the air. Hermie cringed as it cut through the falling snow, passing right over his pointed, blue hat to land a few meters away. Yukon Cornelius dashed over to retrieve it, causing Hermie's eyes to widen in shock as he licked the cold metal repeatedly with his tongue.

"Ugh," Hermie winced, waiting for the tongue to stick. He was quite surprised when it didn't.

"Nuthin'," the hefty prospector complained, replacing his pick and taking up the reins to his sleigh once again. "Mush!" he called out at the top of his lungs, nearly blowing out Hermie's eardrums. "MUSH!"

"Oooh, please, do you have to be so loud?" Hermie whined.

"Look, Howie--"

"Hermie!"

"Whatever. You're the one who wanted to come with me, remember? That means if you want to stay, we do things my way." He glanced down at the fuming elf. "What was it you said you were running away from again?"

Hermie sighed. "I quit my job at Santa's Workshop because none of the other elves there understand my dream."

"Oh, yeah, that's right! You wanted to be a dancer and they wouldn't let you."

"DENTIST!" Hermie practically yelled. "I want to be a dentist. And no, they wouldn't let me. They just kept telling me it was just a phase and assigned me more ear-wiggling classes." He shuddered, and it wasn't with cold. "I just didn't fit in there. They made me feel like such a misfit--"

Hermie's complaints were rudely cut off by a rumbling, animalistic roar.

"I know that sound," Yukon said, his eyes growing bright. "That's the sound of a hungry Bumble!

Hermie felt a cold shiver run down his spine in response to his companion's tone. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"That means we've likely got some rescuing to do!" He flicked the reins, causing his dogs to yap harder than ever. "Onward!" he bellowed. "Mush! MUSH!"

Hermie sat back on the supply sacks and squeezed his eyes shut. Suddenly, a few extra ear-wiggling classes didn't seem so bad.

* * *

Schwarzwald Kurt was a blur of motion as he teleported in and out, fogging the creature's senses with thick clouds of sulfurous smoke. His kicks and punches came faster than the eye could see; all the efforts of the gigantic Abominable to swat him away from his furry head were in vain.

Rudolph and Jamie were huddled under a small outcropping of ice, watching their protector's performance in gape-mouthed astonishment. Suddenly, the two boys were supremely grateful that Schwarzwald Kurt was on their side.

"He has a tail!" Rudolph observed excitedly as Kurt twined the long, sinewy appendage around the Abominable's thick throat in a strangle hold. "Did you notice that before?"

Jamie shook his head. "No. I think it was hidden under his coat or something."

Rudolph nodded, then gasped as the gigantic snow monster collapsed at the knees, causing a dangerous sounding rumble high above them.

"Uh oh," the young reindeer winced.

"What?" Jamie asked. "Why did you say 'uh oh' like that? Schwarzwald Kurt is winning! He's brought the monster to its knees!"

Rudolph stood, his spindly legs trembling beneath him. "Yeah, but when the monster fell he caused the ground to shake. Did you hear that rumble up above us just now?"

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, what of it?"

"I think he may have started an avalanche."

Before Jamie's eyes had the chance to widen, a sudden BAMF brought a very anxious Schwarzwald Kurt to their side.

"Kinder, we must run," he said shortly. "Now. The Abominable Snowman is down, but he is not quite unconscious. More than that, though, I fear his fall has caused an--"

"AVALANCHE!" a deep, lusty voice bellowed through the heavily falling snow. The shrill yapping of terrified dogs filled the darkening air as Jamie, Rudolph, and Kurt raced towards the sound.

"Hop aboard, friends!" Yukon Cornelius shouted to the three figures racing towards him through the swirling snow. "That snow's gonna reach us any minute now, and I don't want to still be here when it does!"

Unwilling to waste a single precious second, Kurt grabbed the two boys and performed a quick teleport, landing the three of them safely on Yukon's sleigh. Hermie coughed, waving the residual teleport smoke from his face.

"Ugh!" he exclaimed, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "What a stink!"

Kurt shot a yellow glare at the elf from behind his hood. Rudolph and Jamie were feeling too queasy to do much more than groan weakly.

"All aboard?" Yukon asked in his usual bellow. "Then let's move!" He cracked the reins, and the heavy sled lurched into motion. "Mush!" he roared over the thunderous rumble of the tumbling wave of snow. "MUSH!"

"Um, pardon me, please," Hermie said after a moment, "but I do believe we're about to be followed."

Kurt, Jamie, Yukon, and Rudolph turned their heads to see the shadowy outline of the Abominable Snowman lurching to its feet through the thickly falling snow. Looking around, it quickly honed in on their small party. Five pairs of eyes widened as one.

"Oh, dear," Jamie commented.

"Indeed," Schwarzwald Kurt remarked, turning to Rudolph with a pointed glance.

"It's my nose!" Rudolph cried. "My stupid, shiny nose! It's leading him right to us!"

"Quick, someone," Yukon shouted, "douse the light!"

Jamie reached out a hand and gently cupped Rudolph's brightly glowing nose. His fingers glowed a bright red, as though he'd cupped them over a light bulb, but it was enough to confuse the Bumble long enough for the dogs to put on a new burst of speed.

"Uh oh!" Rudolph exclaimed, his voice somewhat muzzy now his nose was covered. "I hear water up ahead! We're heading for a dead end!"

Yukon pulled hard at the reins. The sled slid to a stop just in time to avoid crashing headlong into a rushing river.

"Quick," Schwarzwald Kurt said, unsheathing his swords and turning to Yukon Cornelius. "Use your pick. Help me cut us clear of the mainland! It's our only chance to avoid both the Abominable and the avalanche."

With a brisk nod, the bearded man leapt from his perch on the back of the sleigh and began hacking away at the ice. Kurt joined him with his swords. Between the two of them it was the work of less than a minute to create a tiny iceberg island. The youngsters gasped, shrieking in terror as the iceberg spun violently, tipping and swaying as it was cast adrift on the rushing water. Kurt motioned for Cornelius to move to the opposite side of the small iceberg, balancing them out and stopping their nauseating spinning. They steadied themselves just in time to see the Abominable reach the frozen riverbank.

The monster's tiny brain gradually processed what his enormous, dull eyes were telling him. His lunch was getting away, floating down the icy river at a terrible speed. Behind him, a wall of snow, taller than the Abominable himself, was rushing towards him like a tidal wave, carrying huge boulders and uprooted pine trees along for the ride. Slowly, the enormous Snowman came to the realization that he was trapped. There was only one course of action left to him if he was to stand any chance of survival. Dipping a toe into the freezing water, the Abominable took a deep breath and leapt into the air, executing an awkward cannonball. To his shock, and to the delighted laughter of Yukon Cornelius, the Bumble sank like a stone. Barely a moment later, the wave of snow broke, cascading down into the river at the very spot where the Snowman had fallen. There was no way he could have moved out of the way in time to avoid getting buried under several tons of snow, ice, rocks, and trees.

The resulting turbulence from the avalanche rocked the make-shift raft so viciously that it was a miracle the adventurers were not tossed into the river's freezing depths. As it was, their terrified screams could be heard for miles through the cold, silent, wintry air.

It seemed like an eternity before their progress slowed enough for the small group to get their bearings. However, as soon as they were finished giving thanks that they were still breathing and began to feel safe enough to turn their attention to the welfare of their companions, Jamie's eyes widened and his face grew as pale as death itself.

"Oh no," he groaned. "We're going to CRASH!"

"Brace yourselves!" Schwarzwald Kurt called out, leaning back and tilting their iceberg in a desperate attempt to lessen their velocity. Unfortunately, it did little good.

CRACRUNCHSH!

The sleigh was thrown forward, nearly running over the poor dogs as they dashed out of its way and, in an amazing display of synchronization, leapt as one onto its already crowded surface. Jamie, Rudolph, and Hermie covered their eyes, preparing for an inevitable impact with something. Schwarzwald Kurt and Yukon Cornelius were tossed from the iceberg, skidding painfully through the rough snow until they slid to an awkward stop just before a large, colorful sign.

Shaking the snow from his fur-lined hood, Schwarzwald Kurt ignored his bruises and hefted Cornelius to his feet. The two adults stood back to read the sign.

"The Island of Misfit Boys" it read. A rather hastily painted piece of plywood had been nailed underneath. In the hand-written lettering of a child, this smaller sign spelled out, "Girls Welcome!"

Cornelius chuckled and nudged Kurt hard with his elbow. Kurt shot him a glare which the larger man ignored.

"Girls welcome, eh?" he commented with a sly look. "I wonder if that means what I'm thinking it means."

Kurt's glare deepened. "Well, considering the fact that the second sign was painted in pink with little flowers all around it, I would assume that it was painted by a young girl, trying to claim her own right to live on this island."

Cornelius blinked at him. "You've got no sense of humor, friend, you know that don't you?"

Before Kurt could open his mouth to respond, their almost-argument was cut short by a sudden burst of childish laughter coming from their right. Kurt and Cornelius turned to see the sleigh, which had all but vanished into a steep, fluffy snowdrift. The youngsters had already dug themselves out of the soft snow pile and were now working on freeing the dogs from their harness.

"Kinder!" Schwarzwald Kurt called out, cupping a mittened hand to the side of his mouth. "I believe we may have landed on friendly shores! Finish up with the dogs and hurry over here!"

"We're done," Jamie called back. "There's just one little problem."

Concerned, Kurt grabbed Cornelius and teleported over to the sleigh.

"What?" he asked them the instant he materialized. "What is wrong? Are you hurt?"

Rudolph chuckled. "Well, not exactly."

As the adults watched in amazement and the youngsters tried to hold in their giggles, the gigantic snow pile gave a violent tremble, then it collapsed as the sled seemed to push its way free of its own accord. Kurt and Cornelius stood blinking in gape-mouthed astonishment as they came face to face with ten perfect copies of Jamie, all wearing identical grins and all working together to dislodge the sleigh from the powdery snow.

"I told you that was a cool power," Rudolph laughed.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter 6

"So...um...how do they....um...you know....go back wherever they came from?" Hermie asked awkwardly as the group of intrepid adventurers passed under the sign and officially entered the Island of Misfit Boys (Girls Welcome).

Jamie IV shrugged. "They just sort of disappear after a while. Don't ask me to explain it, because I really can't."

"So," Yukon asked, looking around at the veritable horde of Jamies, all with pointed blue and pink elf hats. "Which of you is the real one?"

"I am!" Eleven hands instantly shot into the air. Cornelius raised his bushy eyebrows. "I see," he said. Rudolph still hadn't stopped laughing.

"It's not funny, OK!" Jamie III pouted, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Yeah!" Jamie IX added. "You don't like people laughing at your nose, so quit laughing at my duplicates."

Rudolph had the good grace to look contrite. "Sorry, Jamie," he said.

"Are you certain that this island is inhabited?" Hermie spoke up. "We've been here for at least twenty minutes now and I haven't seen hide nor hair of a--"

"Look!" Jamie VII exclaimed, pointing at the sky. "That lady! She's flying!"

The party turned its collective gaze in the direction the Jamie was indicating. Schwarzwald Kurt's breath caught in his throat at the striking vision that met his golden eyes. A young woman with skin the color of rich milk chocolate and hair as white as the shining snow was twirling gracefully through the crystal blue sky. Kurt was unable to take his eyes from her lithe, powerful form until she vanished behind a beautifully intricate ice palace at the top of a high, rounded hill.

Yukon caught Kurt's expression and slapped him on the back, jarring him from his pleasant daze.

"Was?" he demanded, rubbing his stinging back with his tail.

"Roll your tongue back in, boy," the hefty prospector laughed gustily. "It's in danger of freezing to your boots."

Kurt bristled. "I am not a boy," he said, trying to keep his voice from showing his annoyance. "My name is--"

"Halt!" a young voice interrupted harshly. The party stopped in its tracks, turning to face the newcomer as he spoke again. "State your names and reason for coming to the Island of the Misfits."

The newcomer was a tall boy of about seventeen with short, brown hair and a chiseled jaw. Over his eyes, he wore strange glasses with reddish, multi-faceted lenses. He was dressed in what seemed to be some sort of uniform made of a blue, leather-like material.

Kurt stepped forward with a polite bow. "Guten Tag, mein Herr. I am Schwarzwald Kurt." Gesturing to his companions, he said, "This young reindeer is Rudolph, and the small group of boys you see just here are called Jamie. We, along with this noble prospector and this brave elf, have come to your shores in peace. We seek only safe lodgings for the night, and perhaps a warm meal."

"My name's Hermie," the elf spoke up with a small wave.

"And I'm Yukon Cornelius," the prospector added. Then he chuckled. "We've been having so much fun these last few hours I guess we forgot to introduce ourselves," he said to Kurt.

Kurt smiled, his sharp teeth shining strangely through the darkness of his hood. "Thank you for your help, Yukon Cornelius," he said. "I do not believe we would have escaped the avalanche were it not for you."

"Ah," the hefty prospector shook off the compliment with a wave of his beefy hand. "'Twern't nuthin'"

"Are you quite finished?" the spectacled boy asked, his face pinched with annoyance. They looked at each other, shrugging and muttering among themselves.

"Yeah."

"I guess so."

"I suppose."

"Yeah, sure."

"Good," the boy snapped. "I will announce your presence to our leader. In the meantime, you are all to stay here. Remember, we Misfits have ways of defending ourselves that outsiders like you can only dream of."

With that parting threat, the tall boy turned on his heel with military precision and marched off in the direction of the glittering ice palace the flying woman had vanished into mere moments before.

"What a jerk!" Jamie I exclaimed, staring incredulously at the boy's departing back. "'We "Misfits" have ways of defending ourselves that outsiders like you can only dream of'" he mocked in a falsely deep singsong voice. "What the heck kind of way to talk is that?"

"That's just Scott," a small, female voice piped up from behind them. "He's not really like that. He just likes to play Mr. Military in front of strangers. Not that we get many visitors here."

The group turned once again. While they had been talking to "Mr. Military," several other island inhabitants had crept up behind them, as silently as falling snow. They were all wearing uniforms identical to the one Scott had been wearing.

Kurt looked down at the girl who had spoken with gently glowing eyes. "What is your name, Mädchen?" he asked.

"I'm Kitty," the girl smiled. She motioned for her companions to step forward. "And these are my friends: Jean, Amara, Jubilee, Bobby, Spyke, Rogue, and Rahne."

"We're all Misfits," the uniformed teenagers chorused.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Jamie II inquired curiously.

"Oh, wow!" Jubilee exclaimed, ignoring the question and boggling at the eleven Jamies. "Are you all, like, super-twins or something?"

Rogue made a face. "'Super-twins?'" she repeated in a deep, Southern accent. "Where did you come up with that?" Jubilee stuck her tongue out at her.

"No, we're not brothers," Jamie X explained. "These are my duplicates."

"You see," Jamie V broke in, "whenever I hit something or something hits me, I somehow create duplicates of myself. It's weird."

"Yeah," Rudolph added, "but it's cool."

"And who might you be?" Rahne asked with a thick, Scottish accent. "Do you have a power as well?"

Rudolph lowered his head. "Not really. My nose glows red. That's about all."

"Oh," Rahne shrugged. "Well, I suppose it's useful in the dark."

Rudolph shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose."

"Who's Tall, Dark, and Creepy over there?" Bobby asked, gesturing with his thumb at Kurt.

"Oh," Jamie XI said with a bright grin. "This is Schwarzwald Kurt! He can teleport, and he has swords, and he strangled the Abominable Snowman with his tail!"

Spyke gasped. "You mean, he killed the Abominable Snowman?!"

Jamie VIII shook his head. "Nah. He just knocked him out for a while. When the Abominable fell over, it caused an avalanche. Kurt and Cornelius cut us an iceberg and we escaped just before the snow hit us. That's how we came here."

The Misfits looked up at Kurt in wide-eyed admiration. Bobby crept up behind him, searching for his tail. Kurt looked back at him and, with an amused smile, favored him with a small wave of the spaded tip. Bobby's eyes bugged, then his face broke out into a delighted grin. The Jamies snickered as the tail shivered slightly in the cold and vanished quickly back into the folds of Kurt's fur-lined coat.

"Schwarzwald? That's a funny-sounding name," Amara observed with a haughty smirk.

"The Schwarzwald is a place, it is not technically my name," Kurt corrected her. My name is Kurt. As an infant, I was found by the woman who raised me at the outskirts of the Black Forest--the Schwarzwald--in Germany. I thought Schwarzwald Kurt had rather a dashing ring to it, one suitable to my chosen occupation as protector of the innocent."

"Is this guy for real?" Spyke asked with an incredulous laugh. Then his eyes widened as he caught sight of the double scabbard strapped to Kurt's back. "Woah, wait a minute," he said. "Are those real swords?"

Kurt shot him a wicked grin from the depths of his hood. "Of course!"

"That is so cool!" Spyke exclaimed.

Jubilee looked up from the small huddle she'd made with Jean and Kitty.

"If you have swords, why didn't you just skewer the Abominable?" she asked, flicking a few stray sparks from her fingertips.

Schwarzwald Kurt turned to her. "Because that is not my way," he explained patiently. "The Abominable is a lumbering, stupid creature. He is dangerous, but it is not because he is cruel. When he attacked us, he acted out of innocent hunger rather than overt malice. It would have been a sin to kill him just for that."

"There's no way this guy's for real." Spyke said with a disbelieving shake of his blonde head.

"Why do you call yourselves Misfits?" Jamie VIII broke in. The other teenagers looked suddenly uncomfortable.

After a long, awkward pause, Jean said, "Outside this island, no one seems to want us."

Kurt tilted his head, his startled golden eyes filled with concern. "Why would that be?" he asked.

"Well, who would want a boy who can shoot ugly bone spikes through his skin?" Spyke asked as he provided a brief demonstration.

"Or worse, a kid who sucks out the life-force of others through her skin," Rogue sulked, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Or a girl who can turn into a wolf!" Rahne growled, affecting the startling transformation with little more than a thought.

"Or a girl who can walk through walls?" Kitty added, hanging her head.

"Or one who can make sparks fly from her fingertips?" Jubilee scowled.

"Or a boy who can make ice?" Bobby asked. Then he smiled. "A little redundant now, perhaps, but it sure would make me popular if this island was tropical." Jubilee shoved him. Bobby just laughed.

"You want tropical, Iceman?" Amara asked with a toss of her head. Kurt, Cornelius, Rudolph, Hermie, and the Jamies all gasped in shock as she suddenly burst into flames. "I'll show you tropical!"

"That's enough!" Jean announced, holding out her hand, a look of total concentration on her face. Amara's flames vanished as she rose several feet into the air, a deep frown marring her dark features.

"Hey!" Jamie III exclaimed excitedly as Jean released the outraged girl. "You've all got powers too?"

"Maybe that means we're Misfits as well!" Jamie VII grinned at Rudolph and Kurt.

"This could be the place we were looking for, Rudolph!" Jamie I beamed, looking hopefully at the gathered Misfits.

Rogue regarded them through heavily made-up, green eyes. "Is the world outside really as bad as we've heard?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Rudolph asked.

"Well, said Spyke, "we've always been told that if the people in the outside world were to learn of our powers they would be scared of us."

"They'd ridicule and tease us, or even try to hurt us," Rahne added.

"No one knows about this island," Jean explained. "Not even Santa."

"The secrecy keeps us safe, but it would be nice to get a real Christmas present for once," Rahne said, shifting back into her human form.

"Have none of you ever left this island?" Schwarzwald Kurt queried.

"No," Jean answered him. "Not since we came. The morning after we discovered our powers, we woke up to find ourselves here. It happened the same way for all of us."

The Misfits nodded.

"Here we can learn to use our powers while we wait for the day we can safely enter the world outside," Rahne said.

"And when will that be?" Hermie asked.

The Misfits fidgeted uncomfortably. "We don't know," Bobby said.

"It is human nature for people to fear what they do not understand. We may not like it, but it is a fact nonetheless. If you never confront the world, if you never show by your actions that you are brave and trustworthy and that you mean them no harm, how can you expect the people who know nothing of your abilities to accept you without fear?" Kurt questioned.

Before the Misfits could come up with an answer, their thoughts were interrupted by Yukon Cornelius.

"Don't look now," Yukon said, "but I think young Mr. Military's headed this way."

Everyone watched with varying expressions of bemusement as Scott marched his way towards them. Spyke whispered, "Huht, two, three, four," as Scott came to a sudden stop, then turned to the newcomers. Bobby smirked. A muscle in Scott's jaw twitched, but his focused expression did not waver.

"Our leader would like to speak with you," the tall boy announced formally, his posture perfect. "If you would follow me."

Jean whispered something to Kitty, who promptly burst into giggles. Scott shot them a dark glare that was mostly obscured by his glasses. Jean and Kitty only giggled harder.

Schwarzwald Kurt honored Scott with an equally formal bow. "Lead on, mein Herr," he said. Scott's expression pacified as he turned sharply on his heel and re-traced his tracks back to the glittering ice palace on the hill. "This way," he said.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

The ice palace was even more beautiful on the inside than it was on the outside. Walking into the throne room was like walking through a prism. Light refracted off the thousands of crystalline facets, making the icy walls glitter and shine. The high, pointed ceiling seemed to be made of spun sugar. Rainbows hung like delicate cobwebs in the crisp air. Here and there in little niches cut into the glistening walls, intricately detailed ice sculptures added to the splendor of the marvelous hall. The sight was breathtaking.

"How was this amazing palace constructed," Schwarzwald Kurt whispered reverently.

"Bobby," Scott said simply, his voice echoing slightly in the vast space. "It took him almost a year to finish, and he still adds to it now and then."

The tall boy led them to the foot of a steep staircase. Like everything else in the palace it was made entirely of ice.

"My Lady," Scott announced, "I have brought the newcomers as you requested."

Kurt could feel himself flushing as he looked up through his hood to see the striking woman with the snow-white hair smiling down at them from her icy throne. His golden eyes widened and his tongue felt as thick and useless as wet clay in his mouth. Never had he encountered a woman whose very presence had affected him this suddenly, and so strongly. He had to remind himself to breathe.

"I bid you welcome, travelers from the outside world," the woman said in a deep, gentle voice. "I am Ororo, Mistress of the Storm, and leader of this small community of outcasts. What brings you to the Island of the Misfits?"

Through pure strength of will, Kurt forced himself to shake out of his stupor and take a step forward.

"I assure you, meine Dame, we are here purely by accident," he said with a deep, courtly bow. "We were under attack by the Abominable Snowman and fleeing a deadly avalanche. My companions and I crashed upon your shores." He looked to Rudolph, Hermie, and the Jamies, who were starting to sag on their feet. "We are weary and seek only temporary shelter and perhaps some food."

The Mistress of the Storm looked thoughtful, her mocha brow creasing. "Your party is large and our island small," she said after a long pause. "We have neither the room nor the resources to--"

Before their faces had a chance to fall, the Storm Mistress was cut off by a small sound, almost like an inverted _pop!_ It was soon followed by another. And then, another.

"What is happening?" she asked in confusion, turning her crystal gaze to the Jamies. Jamie I had a relieved look on his face.

"My multiples are starting to reintegrate themselves, or whatever it is they do," Jamie VI said.

"Pretty soon there'll only be one of us left," Jamie III added, just before he, too, vanished with a muffled _pop!_

Ororo of the Storm straightened in her throne. "Then there are people in the outside world who have developed powers as well?" she asked in amazement.

Jamie II shrugged. "Well I haven't met too many," he said. "Just Rudolph and Schwarzwald Kurt. I don't think Hermie or Yukon Cornelius have any unique powers." _pop!_

The elf and the prospector glanced at each other, then shook their heads.

"I'm just a prospector, not a misfit." said Yukon. "But, if you could perhaps tell me where I could find a gold vein somewhere in those hills outside--or silver...!!!"

Ororo shook her snowy head. "I am afraid that I, like the children, have not left this island since my initial arrival when I was little more than a child myself. I cannot help you in your search," she informed him. Yukon slumped his shoulders, muttering to himself, as Ororo shifted her crystal gaze to Kurt. Hermie's small face scrunched up in annoyance as her eyes simply skipped over him as though he wasn't there.

"I can't teleport or duplicate myself or walk through walls, and my nose may not shine like a ruby light bulb," Hermie said, "but I feel I am a Misfit too."

Ororo turned to him, her expression aloof. Undaunted, Hermie pressed on. "I'm different from all the other elves just because it is my fondest dream to become a dentist. Because of this, I've been teased and ridiculed to the point where I was forced to quit my job at Santa's Workshop and run away. If that's not the definition of being a misfit, I don't know what is."

Storm Mistress frowned, rising to her full, imperious height. "Are you asking leave to remain with us, then?" she asked.

"Well," Rudolph shrugged meekly. "Maybe. If you don't mind, that is."

"And you," she asked, turning on Schwarzwald Kurt. "What do you ask?"

Kurt reached up and pulled back his fur-lined hood, regarding the regally beautiful Storm Mistress with luminescent, yellow eyes. Her own eyes widened and her jaw set as she strove to hold in her startled reaction. Kurt's heart clenched for one apprehensive moment, but it started beating again in a rush of relief when he saw there was no fear in her crystal eyes, only intrigue. He worked to suppress a grin, suddenly grateful for his dark coloring as he felt a flush rise in his face, all the way up to his pointed ears.

"Meine Dame," he said, lowering his head in a brief, polite nod. "I cannot speak for die Kinder. Their lives are their own. But, as for myself..." He sighed, tearing his eyes away from her striking face and acknowledging the true call of his heart. "Although I admire this sanctuary where Misfits can grow up without the fear and hatred I have had to face in my life, I have learned from long, difficult experience that you cannot expect the world to accept you if you hide from it. I would not ask to remain here. I have an important role in the world outside. I ask only to stay the night. In the morning, I plan to leave this island."

Jamie and Rudolph gasped their denial. Yukon just nodded his understanding. Ororo's expression was suddenly unreadable.

"That is good to hear," the Storm Mistress said stiffly. "Because you and your companions do not belong here on the Island of the Misfits."

Jamie, Hermie, and Rudolph exclaimed as one, "What!! Why?!"

"Because as Schwarzwald Kurt has said, you all have important roles in the outside world. If you did not, you would have appeared here on your own and individually, as everyone else did."

"But that's not fair!" Hermie whined. "Where else can I go?"

"Yeah!" Rudolph added. "Nobody outside wants us!"

The bright eyes of the Storm Mistress flashed dangerously. The boys cringed.

"I can offer you shelter for the night," she said, her gaze fixed on Kurt. Only Yukon seemed to notice the current that passed unconsciously between their locked eyes as she spoke. "But that is all. In the morning, you all must leave." Her voice was firm and allowed for no argument. Slowly, Hermie, Rudolph, and the remaining Jamie nodded their heads.

"We thank you for your kind generosity, meine Dame," Kurt assured her with a small smile.

"Good," the Storm Mistress said curtly. "Scott will show you to your temporary quarters. Your meal will be delivered to you there."

"Come along," Scott ordered, coming out of his stiff "attention" stance and marching back the way they had come. Kurt bowed a final time before turning to follow the tall boy, his tail lashing behind him as it mirrored his turbulent emotions.

The Storm Mistress watched him go with curious eyes. She had never met anyone like this Schwarzwald Kurt before. There was something about the way he had smiled at her, something about his bearing...the warmth and self-confidence in his eyes... She couldn't understand it, but for some reason, the thought of his departure in the morning suddenly upset her deeply.

Striding quickly from the throne room, she ran to her balcony and called upon the winds to lift her into the sky. She watched the small group from afar as Scott led them to a small cottage on the outskirts of the Misfits' home village. The whole time, she never took her eyes from Schwarzwald Kurt.

* * *

Schwarzwald Kurt perched on the roof of the small cottage, watching the lights of the Aurora Borealis play in the star-dusted sky of night. Below him, his companions slept, exhausted from their day of adventures. But, despite his own exhaustion, Kurt could not sleep. His mind was too full for that peace to claim him.

His thoughts were disturbed by a sudden breeze from behind him. Turning quickly, he came face to face with the very cause of his sleeplessness. The Storm Mistress herself was standing on the roof beside him, her dark face warmed by a slight smile.

"G--Guten Abend, meine Dame," Kurt managed to stammer before his tongue once again transformed into clay. The Storm Mistress' smile widened.

"Where are you from?" she asked, her deep voice soft. "Do all the people there look as you do?"

Kurt lowered his head, his tail swaying slowly behind him. "Nein," he said. "I have never met another who looked like me." He looked up at her with a slightly wry smile. "And as my name suggests, I am from the Schwarzwald. That is a large forest in a distant country known as Germany."

"Ah," the Storm Mistress nodded. "I, myself am from a distant land. However, I came here so long ago I can barely remember anything apart from the searing heat."

Kurt looked around at the frozen landscape that spread out before them. "This must have come as quite a shock, then," he observed.

Storm smiled. "It was, at first. But the cold does not affect me. Nor does the heat. I control the elements, they do not control me."

Kurt grabbed his swaying tail and rubbed the tingling tip between his two mittened hands, struggling to warm it. "That must be nice," he commented. "As for me, if I do not stay bundled as I am, I would risk frostbite. Still, I spent much of my childhood in the Bavarian Alps, so I am used to snow."

Storm nodded, and the two sat in companionable silence for a while. When that silence had gone on long enough to become slightly uncomfortable, Storm shifted her crystal gaze back to Kurt.

"I liked what you said before," she admitted softly. "About how we shouldn't hide." She sighed. "You don't know how much I would give to get away from this place."

Kurt looked at her. "Then why don't you?" he asked. "Leave this island. Come with us. Together we can prove ourselves the world. We can show those who would persecute us out of ignorance that they have nothing to fear from Misfits."

Ororo sighed deeply and shook her head, her eyes fixed on the shifting colors of the Aurora Borealis. "I can't," she said. "I care for the children far too much to abandon them like that."

Kurt quickly shook his head. "No, no, you misunderstand me!" he said. "I would never suggest you should abandon the children. They should come as well!"

Ororo sighed again. "It would still be impossible, I'm afraid. Our island is enchanted, an enchantment that will only be broken once the world is ready to accept us as we are. Although that day may never come, we must stay here in hopes that it will."

Kurt tilted his head. "What kind of enchantment?" he asked.

"Time moves far more slowly here than it does in the outside world. What seems mere hours on this island could be days or even months out there. The time difference is uncertain and constantly changing. That makes it dangerous for us to leave. Besides, this is our home. We are safe here. Most of the children don't want to leave."

Kurt straightened. "Wait a minute, do you mean that while we've been here, months could have passed where we came from?"

Ororo nodded, her eyes pained. "I'm afraid so."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Kurt demanded, suddenly angry. "I was meaning to return Rudolph and Jamie to their homes. By now, they must have been given up for dead by their loved ones!"

The Storm Mistress hung her head, ashamed of what she had to say. "I meant to," she said. "I would have. But, somehow, I couldn't."

"Why?" Kurt demanded.

Storm looked to him, her eyes confused and filled with shame as she admitted the bare truth. "Because I didn't want you to go."

Kurt stared at her for a long moment, his jaw dropping ever so slightly in wordless astonishment.

"Wha--what did you say?"

Storm stood; aloof, reserved, and regal once more. "You were tired and obviously needed rest and food. I would have been negligent in my duties as a leader and a host had I not--"

Kurt interrupted her, his heart hammering in his ears as a sudden realization pierced the fog that had temporarily enshrouded his brain.

"No," he said, a mischievous gleam growing in his yellow eyes. "That wasn't quite it."

Ororo turned to him with an indignant look. When she caught the gleam in his eyes, however, she returned it with a mirroring smile.

"Kurt," she asked, an unmistakably playful tone to her voice, "have you ever wanted to fly?"

Kurt grinned, unable to mask his delight at her offer. "My lady, I have always envied the birds above all other creatures."

"Then take my hand," Ororo smiled. "Since you are so set on leaving in the morning, we only have this moment for me to show you around the island."

Kurt's broad grin warmed as he took her slender hand in his furry mitten. "What do I do?" he asked.

"Just hold tight to my hand, my friend," she said with a laugh. "And prepare to be swept off your feet."

Ororo's eyes whitened as she summoned a powerful wind to support them. The two new friends laughed like playful children as they rose gracefully from the roof and flew off into the star-dusted sky.

* * *

Rudolph shot up with a gasp, his blanket falling from his back to pool on the cold, wooden floor. He could swear he had heard a growl in the distance. The Wolverine was looking for him. He could feel it in his spine.

The young deer turned his head, looking at his sleeping companions. To his surprise, one of the cots was empty--the cot belonging to Schwarzwald Kurt.

Filled with a sudden panic, he nudged at Jamie with his glowing nose, desperate for his friend to wake up. Finally, Jamie gave a soft, cranky groan.

"Whaist?" he slurred, rolling over to face the anxious deer.

"Schwarzwald Kurt is gone," Rudolph whispered quickly, his large eyes darting around the small room. "And I think I heard a roar. Do you think he's in trouble?"

Jamie yawned hugely. "Kurt's on the roof keeping watch," he said, snuggling back into his blankets and closing his eyes. "If there's any trouble, I'm sure he'd call us."

Rudolph shivered. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure I'm sure. Now go back to sleep, 'K?"

Rudolph nodded and tried to settle himself back onto his blanket. However, each time he closed his eyes he was met with an image of the fearsome Wolverine, drawn to his glowing nose by a ravenous hunger, attacking his friends, killing them to get to him...

Rudolph stood again and started pacing the room. He couldn't stay here. He couldn't continue to put his friends at risk just because of his stupid nose. He would be better off on his own. That way, if the Wolverine or the Abominable attacked him again, only he would be hurt.

With these dark thoughts swirling through his young mind, Rudolph decided on a course of action. He would leave. He would float away on whatever remained of their iceberg and live his life alone as a freakish, red-nosed hermit. It was the only way to make sure his friends were not hurt on his account.

With a silent sob and a final glance around the cabin, Rudolph quietly nudged the door open and stepped out into the night. Keeping to the shadows, he slunk along the side of the cottage, then made a mad dash through the snow, praying Schwarzwald Kurt wouldn't see him.

Schwarzwald Kurt, however, was at that moment flying high over the Storm Mistress' ice palace, and his eyes were only for her.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

The coming of dawn brought a great commotion to the Island of the Misfits. The realization that Rudolph had run away in the night hit Kurt hard. He was filled with a powerful guilt, blaming himself for Rudolph's disappearance. Ororo tried to console him, but her efforts only made him more determined to leave as soon as possible.

"I am very sorry you cannot come with us," Kurt said sadly as the Misfits helped Yukon load his sleigh. His golden eyes were soft and Ororo found herself deeply relieved to realize he did not blame her for luring him away from his duties. "You and all the Misfits. I just know that if you and your Misfits all worked together, using your unique gifts to help others, we could make a positive difference in this weary world."

"Oh, Kurt," Ororo sighed. "I truly wish I could. But the time of the Misfits has not yet come. Until that day, whenever it may be, I must remain here to watch over the children and to guide them as they grow."

Kurt closed his eyes and lowered his head, trying to hide his disappointment. He felt his heart was being torn in two. "I would stay with you, Liebling," he said with difficulty, reaching out to take her hands in his, "and offer you what assistance I could--"

"Only your duty calls you," Ororo said with an equally painful smile. "And you must find your reindeer friend. I understand, Kurt." She stepped closer, spreading a slender hand over his chest, just over his heart. "And please believe, it is only my duty that keeps me here. If this were just a matter of the heart, I would find a way to go with you, enchantment or not."

Kurt took in a sharp breath, his eyes stinging. He tore off a mitten to wipe the collecting moisture from their corners, revealing a blue, fuzzy, three-fingered hand. Ororo didn't even blink in reaction. At that moment, Kurt knew if he stayed a second longer, he would never be able to bring himself to leave.

"If it weren't for the enchantment, I could visit...." he attempted, stopping himself before his voice faltered.

"You could anyway," she smiled kindly, brushing an errant curl from his forehead and tucking it securely under his hood. "No matter how old you become, you will always be welcome here with me, on the Island of the Misfits." Looking deeply into his eyes, she could feel her heart already starting to break. "Please, my friend," she whispered, "just do me one favor while you're out there protecting the innocent and fighting fiends."

"Anything, meine Liebe," Kurt assured her.

"Talk to Santa about us," she said. "Tell him how much it would mean to us to have a real Christmas, at least once. Don't let him skip over our island again."

"I promise," Kurt vowed solemnly, looking into her crystal eyes, which were now shining with unshed tears of their own. Reaching for her hand, he graced it with a soft kiss and a gentle squeeze that spoke more of his feelings than his words ever could.

"Fare well, meine Dame," he said softly, replacing his mitten on his tridactyl hand. "I will keep my promise to you. The children will have a real Christmas this year. If Santa won't come, I shall deliver their presents myself."

With that, Schwarzwald Kurt turned from her, but before he could teleport to where his friends were waiting, the Storm Mistress called him back.

"Kurt—"

Kurt spun around so quickly it was almost comical, striding back to her side.

"Yes, meine Liebe?"

"Kurt, I…"

She trailed off, her expression conflicted. Now he was there, Ororo suddenly realized she didn't know what to say. She had never felt so unbalanced, so vulnerable and uncertain in her entire life. She knew it might be years before they met again—for him, at least, if not for her—and she couldn't let him leave her without knowing how much he had come to mean to her in the few short hours they had shared.

Looking deeply into his glowing eyes, Ororo closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his bulky coat and finding his lips in the shadow of his hood. The kiss was tentative at first—just a brief peck—but after his initial surprise, Kurt responded with a passion that the Storm Mistress eagerly reciprocated. When it finally ended, they held their embrace for a few moments longer, an island of warmth amidst the frozen landscape.

"Go now," Storm said softly, touching his fuzzy cheek with a small smile. "Find your reindeer friend. And, if ever you find your hope waning, remember that I love you."

Kurt blinked hard against the tears stinging his eyes. Acting on sudden impulse, he pulled her back to him in a fierce embrace.

"I will remember," he whispered against her snowy hair, his accented voice hoarse, but his eyes warm as he pulled away and took a step back. "Fare well, my love."

And with that, he teleported from her side.

Ororo turned from the dissipating teleport smoke to cast one final glance at her departing hero, where he was already helping Hermie onto the loaded sleigh. The dogs were harnessed and everything was packed and ready to go.

Standing straight and tall, the regal Storm Mistress called her winds to her side and used them to rise into the air, trying to clear the pain of parting from her heart with the exhilarating rush of flight.

* * *

For Rudolph, it had been a year since he had left his friends at the Island of the Misfits. Another Christmas Eve was just around the corner. However, at this moment, Rudolph was having grave doubts that he would live to see another Christmas.

After several months of lonely wandering, Rudolph had tried to return home. When he got there, however, it was only to find that his sudden disappearance had sparked several terribly unforeseen reactions. Barely a week after he had run away, Clarisse and his mother had decided to go in search of him. No one had seen or heard of them since. It was with mounting horror that Rudolph learned all the other reindeer, and even Santa himself, had given them up for dead months ago. His father was now a sad, broken reindeer. When Rudolph had gone to him, he had not even been able to bring the older deer to break himself out of his misery long enough to believe his son had really returned, that he was not a ghost. It was with these painful memories burning his aching, guilt-ridden heart that Rudolph had run off again--this time in search of two of the people he held most dear.

And, after several weeks of stumbling through the heavy snow, he had found them. Rudolph, Mrs. Donner, and Clarisse had enjoyed a tearful reunion under the tall pines; however, their joy had not lasted long. Once again, Rudolph's glowing nose had attracted a monster, putting those closest to his heart in mortal peril.

The cave of the Abominable Snowman was dark, dank, and deep. As he hung upside-down, suspended by ice from the jagged ceiling, Rudolph was grateful for the freezing weather. If it had been any warmer, the piles of half- chewed corpses that littered the ground below would have been giving off a nauseating reek. Rudolph sighed as he dangled, turning his gaze to where his mother and the beautiful Clarisse were lying limp and unconscious, small trickles of blood streaming down their snowy faces like dark tears. His heart filled with an overwhelming shame accompanied by a debilitating sense of helplessness. It was his fault that they were here now. It was his fault the Abominable had caught them unawares. There was no one who could come to their rescue now. He had failed his friends more times than he cared to count and now, because of him, his mother and Clarisse would die once the Abominable returned to his cave.

Softly, the young buck began to weep.

* * *

"Are you sure he's in there?" Jamie asked, looking up towards the gaping mouth of the Abominable's cave.

"No," Yukon Cornelius replied. "But there were signs of a recent scuffle some distance back and the tracks led here. Kurt's gone up to check it out."

Jamie's eyes widened. "But what if the Abominable's in there?" he asked, his voice high with worry.

Hermie shrugged uncomfortably. "I just hope he'll use his swords this time," he said.

Jamie shivered and turned his gaze back up towards the cave, just praying that everything would turn out all right.

* * *

Rudolph opened his eyes slowly at the sound of soft footsteps somewhere below him. "Who's there?" he asked, his voice hoarse and his brain feeling stuffed up from crying upside-down.

"Rudolph?" a familiar, accented voice called out. "Is that you, mein Freund?"

"Schwarzwald Kurt!" Rudolph exclaimed in disbelief. "How did you ever find me?"

"With practiced skill and a great deal of dumb luck," Kurt grinned, stepping out of the shadows and into the dim light. "Let me get you down from there."

Unsheathing one of his swords, Schwarzwald Kurt teleported up to the icy ceiling of the cave and began carefully chipping away at the ice that was holding Rudolph's hooves fast. Once he could tell how deeply they were encased, he grabbed the young reindeer around the middle and teleported them both down to the ground.

"There," Kurt grinned, nearly winded from the exertion of teleporting a practically fully-grown reindeer. "Now, let's get you out of here."

"Wait!" Rudolph exclaimed. "My mother and Clarisse are in here too. The Abominable knocked them unconscious and they haven't woken up yet. We have to get them out too!"

Kurt leapt over a pile of frozen carcasses and pulled off his mittens, pressing a hand to the does' necks in search of a pulse.

"They're still alive," he said calmly, "but they won't be waking up any time soon. We need the others up here if we're to rescue them before the Abominable returns."

"Can't you just teleport them up here?" Rudolph asked anxiously.

"Yes, but I can't teleport the sleigh. How are we supposed to move them without it?"

Rudolph sighed and began to pace in agitation. "This is all my fault," he moaned. "If I hadn't gone looking for them, the Abominable never would have found them. It's all my nose's fault!"

Kurt glared at the boy, his golden eyes narrowed. "Stop that," he ordered, startling Rudolph out of his misery. "This is no time to indulge in useless self-pity. You found them. If you could, I'm sure the Abominable could without any help from you. It's not the fault of your nose or anything else."

Kurt stepped forward, his expression softening. "Now, your mother and Clarisse need help. They need you to be brave and to think with a clear head. Can you do that?"

Rudolph nodded sulkily, his antlers nearly brushing the ground. "I think so."

"Don't think so," Kurt snapped. "Be so. Now, come with me. We must get to Yukon and the others."

"They're here too?" Rudolph asked, amazed.

"Of course. Now, prepare yourself. This is going to be a difficult trip."

Wrapping his arms around the young reindeer's neck, Kurt teleported them down to where the others were waiting at the foot of the mountain.

* * *

"Easy!" Yukon shouted to Jamie and Hermie, who were struggling to hold the sleigh in place on the slightly slanted cliff just outside the cave. "Hold it steady. We're setting 'er down now."

Kurt and Yukon lowered Rudolph's unconscious mother on top of the loaded sleigh with a loud grunt of effort. Yukon sighed and ran a hand through his beard. Only the young doe was left and there was still no sign of the Abominable.

"Yukon!" Kurt called from the depths of the cave. "What are you doing out there?"

"Coming!" the hefty prospector called back, casting one last glance at the surrounding landscape before re-entering the dismal cave.

"I've got her head," Kurt said as the two of them bent to lift the heavy doe from where she rested. "On the count of drei, ready?"

Yukon nodded.

"Eins....zwei....drei! Heave!"

The two men hefted the reindeer into the air and began stumbling their way out of the cave. Just before they reached the last pile of carcasses, their ears were met by an alarmed shout

"Kurt! Cornelius! It's the Abominable!" Rudolph gasped from his perch at the edge of the cliff. "He's come back! And he looks angry!"

"What do we do?" Hermie squeaked from behind the sleigh. "There's nowhere to hide!"

Kurt looked to Yukon. "Quick, it will take the monster some time to climb all the way up here. We must get this doe on the sleigh. Then, we can develop a plan."

Taking a deep breath, the two men shuffled to the sled as quickly as they could. No sooner had they lowered the young doe beside Rudolph's mother, than an ear-splitting roar split the silent, winter air. The Abominable had come home.

"I have an idea," Kurt said briskly. "I'll confuse him with multiple 'ports like I did before. While I've got him distracted, you get this sleigh down the mountain."

"But you're already tired," Yukon protested. "You can't hope to hold the Bumble off by yourself. I'll help you."

"Wait a minute!" Hermie exclaimed suddenly. "I just thought of something. What threat would the Abominable pose without his teeth?"

Kurt blinked. "Not much of one, I believe," he said, a small smile growing on his face. "That's it! Yukon and I will find a way to knock the monster out. Once he's down, Hermie will do his dentist thing and pull the Abominable's teeth out. Rudolph, you and Jamie concentrate on getting this sleigh to safety. Does everyone understand what we'll be doing?"

The friends nodded. "Yes!" they chorused, eyes shining and eager for the fight.

"Good," Kurt nodded, "because here he comes!"

In a flash, Kurt appeared crouched on the Abominable's shoulders. As Yukon rushed forward to meet the Bumble head on, Kurt wrapped his tail around the monster's thick neck and started squeezing as hard as he could.

In the meantime, Hermie pulled a frightening-looking dental instrument from one of the bags on Yukon's sleigh and helped Jamie and Rudolph guide the dogs to the edge of the slanting path that led down the mountain. With a brief exchange of well-wishes, the friends parted for what might be the last time.

* * *

The smell of meat was very close now. He must be near the scavenger's cave. The creature known only as the Wolverine sniffed the chill air, his empty stomach growling in anticipation at the thought of the frozen meat that awaited him. He would warm it just enough to get the juices flowing again. Then, while it was still rare and bleeding, he would bite into it, savoring the taste and the feel as the juices ran down his throat...

Suddenly, his pleasant daydreams were interrupted by a very familiar smell coming from the same direction as the rich scent of meat. It was the unique, musky smell of the man who had separated him from his dinner so long ago. They still had a score to settle, him and that Schwarzwald Kurt. The Wolverine was never one to forget a grudge.

Dropping to a feral crouch, the Wolverine increased his pace, racing for the Abominable's cave with all the speed his fierce lust for battle could lend him. He wouldn't need to use the winding path. He could scale the steep mountain with his claws. The Wolverine laughed in savage anticipation. Schwarzwald Kurt would never know what hit him.

* * *

Kurt's tail was starting to ache and the Abominable was still on its feet. Yukon's attacks served to keep the beast from swatting him away, but they had yet to cause any real damage to the Bumble's thick skin. Jamie and Rudolph were barely a third of the way down the mountain. At this rate, it was starting to appear doubtful that their plan would work.

At that moment, Kurt's pointed ears twitched under his hood at the sound of a low, predatory growl coming from somewhere just below him. Turning his gaze to the edge of the cliff, his golden eyes widened at the sight of a grinning Wolverine.

"Yukon!" he shouted, not expecting his friend to look up in the heat of battle. He just hoped his words would reach him over the Abominable's roars. "The Wolverine has returned! It's all or nothing now!"

Unsheathing his swords, Kurt leapt high into the air and teleported, landing hard on the Wolverine's broad back as the wild man completed his climb onto the cliff. The Wolverine grunted as the air was knocked from his lungs, flipping over onto his back and shoving the panting Schwarzwald Kurt away. Leaping to his feet, his long claws extended from his knuckles with a metallic SNIKT. Kurt took a few steps back, brandishing his swords and slipping into a defensive pose.

The Wolverine charged the hooded man with a savage roar. Kurt met his attack with a blinding flurry of steel, tangling his right sword in the Wolverine's claws and shoving him back with a sharp kick to the chest. Wolverine grunted in surprised pain, then a slow, terrifying smile crept across his rugged features.

"I'll skewer ya for that, bub," he growled, his flinty eyes glinting with deadly menace, "and then I'll finish what I started with your little reindeer friend. Only now, he ain't so little anymore, is he? Should last me for a couple days, then."

Schwarzwald Kurt refused to be baited. He continued to stand on guard, centered and calm, waiting for the Wolverine's next move. The Wolverine snarled, angry that his taunts were getting no response from his enemy. Letting loose with another savage yell, he launched himself at Kurt once again.

* * *

Hermie the Elf sat just over the cave's opening, watching the battles raging below and waiting for his chance to strike. Schwarzwald Kurt seemed to be holding his own against the savage Wolverine, but Yukon Cornelius was really struggling against the Abominable. Hermie knew if something didn't happen soon, Yukon would lose the fight. He looked around himself, desperate for to find anything he could use to help his friend--a rock, a branch, anything.

What he saw was a large boulder. Crawling cautiously over the icy snow, Hermie tested the giant stone with his foot. To his delight, it wobbled easily. If he could just get the Abominable to stand in the mouth of the cave, he could probably use this boulder to knock the beast unconscious.

"Yukon!" he called, waving his arms in a desperate attempt to grab his friend's attention. "Over here! Get him to come over here!"

Nodding his understanding, the indefatigable prospector shifted his attack, beating at the Abominable with the flat of his pick as he forced the monster to stumble backwards towards the cave.

Hermie waited for just the right moment. He didn't want the boulder to bounce off the Bumble's thick skull and land on Yukon by accident. Yukon, however, knew enough to move away before that could happen. He leapt through the Bumble's legs and rolled into the cave just as the elf managed to kick the heavy boulder free of the ice. The boulder hit the Abominable square on the head, causing his eyes to roll up and a strange, almost comical grin to cross his matted, furry face as he collapsed to the ground with a loud CRASH.

Hermie immediately climbed down to the cliff and began his task of pulling the Bumble's giant teeth. It was more difficult than he had expected. Yukon came up beside him and put a beefy hand on his shoulder.

"Want some help?" he offered.

With a grateful nod, Hermie handed his tool over to Cornelius, then set about instructing him on what to do.

* * *

The Wolverine's adamantium claws sliced clean through Kurt's left sword, severing the blade near the hilt. Kurt blinked at the remains of his treasured sword, losing precious seconds while the Wolverine prepared to come at him again. Tossing the useless hilt aside, Kurt brandished his remaining sword and met the Wolverine head on. Using his momentum to flip over the shorter man's scruffy head, Kurt began to mount an aggressive offensive attack, baring his sharp fangs and backing the Wolverine closer and closer to the edge of the precipice. A river rushed far below, eager to swallow whichever of the two combatants fell first. Schwarzwald Kurt was determined that it would not be him.

Kurt struggled to keep his center, channeling his anger and fear into focused energy that he used to come at the Wolverine again and again even though he was hovering at the point of physical exhaustion. Searching for days with little sleep, moving the two deer, fighting against the Abominable Snowman, and two strenuous teleports had tired him long before the Wolverine showed up. Now, it was nearly fifteen minutes into the fight and Kurt was beginning to wonder how much longer he could hold out before he felt those sharp claws rake his fuzzy skin.

* * *

"Made it!" Rudolph crowed, helping Jamie to hide the sleigh behind the cover of several evergreen bushes.

"How do you think the others are doing?" Jamie asked, looking anxiously up at the cliff where he could see little more than the sun glinting off the blade of Schwarzwald Kurt's sword.

"I don't know," the reindeer said anxiously. "I can hardly see a thing from down here."

"Do you think if maybe I climbed a tree I could see better?"

"I don't see how it could hurt," Rudolph said, turning his attention to the two unconscious does on the sleigh. "I'll stay here with them."

Jamie nodded, offering him a sympathetic glance before reaching out to grab the lowest branch of the nearest tree.

Jamie had thought he had been prepared to see the changes in his friend. Ever since Schwarzwald Kurt had told them of the enchantment that cursed/protected the Island of the Misfits, Jamie had known Rudolph would most likely have grown up quite a bit since the last time they were together. However, he hadn't been prepared for just how much.

Rudolph was no longer the young fawn with the stubby antlers Jamie had met sulking among the Christmas trees. His once downy coat was now a thick, dark brown and his antlers were as long as Jamie's forearm. He was taller, broader, thicker, his voice was deeper, and--Jamie sighed as he remembered the expression on the reindeer's face when he looked down at Clarisse--he was in love. As Jamie climbed higher, his hands covered in pine sap and dark smudges staining the knees of his blue elf pants, he reflected that if it hadn't been for the young reindeer's nose, he would have been hard pressed to recognize him at all.

When he had climbed so high that the trunk was no thicker than a branch itself, Jamie stopped and brushed aside a few errant twigs that blocked his view. He gasped at the sight that met his eyes, swaying slightly before he could manage to tighten his grip on the surrounding branches.

The Abominable was down for the count. Hermie and Yukon had nearly finished their (to Jamie's mind) gruesome task. A small pile of sharp teeth, each as long as Jamie's hand, had built up beside them. Jamie had to look away, but when he turned his gaze to Schwarzwald Kurt he nearly cried out in dismay.

Kurt was down to one sword, and even that was badly notched. The Wolverine seemed tireless as he swiped at the taller man with his gleaming claws, again and again and again. Kurt just managed to keep his skin intact as he skillfully dodged, twisted, and flipped through the air, managing to parry each of the Wolverine's savage blows. A fierce, resolute determination burned in his glowing, yellow eyes, but even Jamie could tell that he was nearing the end of his energy. It would only be a matter of time before--

With a guttural roar, the Wolverine slashed his claws through Kurt's remaining sword, the force of the blow scattering three, deadly pieces of the once proud blade over the side of the cliff. Jamie watched in horror as Kurt tottered and nearly fell, using his tail to recover his precarious balance just in time.

The Wolverine charged his slender opponent, his arms outstretched, his elbows bent, his deadly claws pointed straight at Kurt's chest.

"Kurt, _LOOK OUT!!!!!_" Jamie screamed.

Kurt closed his bright eyes, using his sense of spatial perception to better time his final move. At the very last moment, Kurt let loose with a roar of his own as he grabbed onto the Wolverine's thick wrists and flipped over his head so he was sitting on his back, straddling the wild man's waist. It was an amazingly daring move, but it did little good. As Jamie watched in anguished horror, the Wolverine's momentum carried both men over the edge of the steep cliff. They plummeted towards the rushing river, spinning as they fell. However, before they had built up too much speed, the pair vanished in a puff of blue-black smoke.

Jamie breathed a sigh of deep relief and leaned back against the narrow trunk. Then his eyes popped open with the shock of a sudden, disturbing thought.

Schwarzwald Kurt had teleported himself and the Wolverine in time to save himself from a gruesome death. But, where had they gone? How could Kurt survive another attack without his swords?

Jamie was at the point of tears by the time he finally made it back to the ground. Suddenly, he found himself doubting whether he would ever see his friend again.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Without his teeth, the gigantic Bumble was just that—a bumbling, small-brained mountain of matted fur. As the small group trudged their way towards Santa's Workshop through the deep snow, Hermie and Yukon Cornelius tried to cheer themselves up after the apparent loss of Schwarzwald Kurt by teaching the Bumble tricks. By the time the party reached the outskirts of the Christmas tree forest, the lumbering giant had learned to roll over, beg, and shake hands on command, all with the good-natured enthusiasm of an eager puppy. Jamie just couldn't understand it, but then he really was in no mood to try.

Clarisse and Mrs. Donner slowly worked their way back to consciousness over the course of the journey. Both woke to splitting headaches, but at the sight of Rudolph all their pain and worry was instantly forgotten. Jamie was pleased to see his friend so happy, but nothing could shake the pall that had settled over him once he realized that Schwarzwald Kurt was gone, not even the Christmas party the elves were throwing when they finally arrived at their destination.

"Jamie! Jamie!" a small, high-pitched voice squealed in his ear. Jamie looked up from his sulk to see an exuberantly happy female elf dressed all in pink practically hopping in place as she grinned at him. "Do you want to join our dance?"

Jamie sighed. "No, thanks. Go ask Hermie or someone."

The girl elf giggled, raising a hand to her heart. "Oooooh! Hermie!" she squealed. "Isn't he the bravest thing? Did you know I already made an appointment to meet with him? I'm going to be his seventh patient! All my friends are so jealous!"

Jamie blinked, his surprise temporarily managing to break through the gloom that enshrouded him. "You mean, you don't think he's a misfit anymore? I thought you guys chased him away for wanting to be a dentist."

The girl giggled, then shrugged. "Well, that was before we knew how talented he is! Do you know, he already found three cavities in our boss' mouth! And just look how he tamed the Abominable!"

Jamie rolled his eyes. He knew it was really Yukon who'd had the most to do with the taming of the Bumble, but he wasn't about to start an argument with one of Hermie's new fans. The girl went on in a dreamy kind of voice.

"He's not like all the other elves."

Jamie cocked his head. "Isn't that what made him so unpopular?"

The girl stared at him as if he had just sprouted another head. "No! That's what makes him so cute!"

Jamie could almost bring himself to chuckle at that. "Yeah, sure, Hermie's a great guy," he said. "I know. Now, please, if you don't mind I'd kind of like to be alone."

The girl blinked, then giggled brightly. "That's no way for a proper elf to spend Christmas, you know," she said with a playful pout. "Where's your Christmas spirit?"

"It vanished along with my friend, Schwarzwald Kurt," Jamie snapped, his voice coming out harsher than he'd intended. "He's out there in the wilderness somewhere with that Wolverine thing and I don't even know if he's alive or dead!"

The girl blinked again, her blue eyes wide. "Well, gee!" she said. "If you're going to be like that!"

With a huff, the pink elf flounced away only to link elbows with a line of cheerful dancers; completely forgetting about the sullen Jamie.

Jamie sighed deeply and turned back to his sparkling apple juice. Yukon was busy showing the Bumble off to a small group of cheering elves, his playful dogs racing around his feet, pouncing on anything that moved. Rudolph was standing in a corner, chatting happily with his parents and his girlfriend. Donner was still rather thin after his year of guilt, desperation, and worry, but his eyes now glowed with a joyful light that would have warmed Jamie's heart to see at any other time. Now, however, it just made him hunch down further in his chair.

At that moment, the brightly painted doors to the warm room burst open and Santa himself strode in. He was dressed in his classic Christmas gear, and his laugh was as jolly as his cheeks were rosy. Jamie sighed again and rested his chin on his elbow.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" Santa exclaimed exuberantly, his grin broad enough to split his bearded face in two. "Is my sleigh all packed?"

"That's a check, Santa," a large, almost spherical elf with a dark goatee said eagerly. "Just harness the reindeer and you're ready to go!"

Santa clapped his mittened hands. "Wonderful! Wonderful! That's what I like to hear. Now," he said, searching through the pockets of his red suit, "where did I put my list?"

"Look in your hat," a girl elf suggested. "That's where it was last year."

Pulling off his floppy hat, Santa peered inside with a chuckle. "Ah, and here it is!" he beamed. "Thank you very much!"

The girl elf flushed up to her pointed ears and scampered away to join her giggling friends.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Santa glanced up at the front door in surprise. "Now, who could that possibly be?" he wondered, striding across the room and pulling the door open. A horde of curious elfish faces peered around him to catch a glimpse of the newcomers.

"Guten Abend, Herr Claus!" a familiar, accented voice spoke from the doorway. Jamie sat up so quickly he nearly toppled his goblet. Kurt was still talking. "My friend and I were wondering if—"

"**_SCHWARZWALD KURT!!!!_**" Jamie screamed, bowling through the gathered elves in his rush to embrace his friend.

"Oopff!" the cloaked man grunted on impact, hoping the force wouldn't cause Jamie to multiply himself. "Why, hello, Jamie!" he smiled once he'd managed to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him. "Did you miss me?"

"Miss you!" Jamie exclaimed. "I thought you were dead! Your swords were trashed, and when I saw you fall off the cliff and vanish with that Wolverine, I thought—"

"You thought I'd skewered the blue fuzz-wad, didn't you, Squirt."

Jamie gasped and took a few steps back, bumping into Santa's soft belly in his shock.

"But—but that—that's...!"

"The Wolverine?" Kurt asked with a roguish grin. "Of course."

"But—but how?" Jamie stammered.

Kurt chuckled. "Ach, I'm afraid that is a long story, mein Junge. Much too long to tell while I'm standing out here in the cold. Do you mind if we come in?" He turned his golden gaze to Santa.

"Please do," Santa said with a sweeping gesture of welcome. "Help yourselves to some Christmas punch and cookies!"

The Wolverine made a sour face, but strode over to the refreshment table anyway. The elves literally scrambled over each other to get out of his way, which seemed to amuse the Wolverine greatly.

Schwarzwald Kurt lowered his hood and removed his mittens, stuffing them into a deep pocket. Santa blinked at his blue fur and tridactyl hands, but he was so used to pointed ears that he barely even noticed them.

"My, aren't you an unusual elf," he said with a warm smile. "What brings you here, this cold, Christmas Eve night?"

Kurt smiled in return. "I'm glad you asked that, mein Herr. You see, I have come here to ask a favor of you."

Santa raised a bushy, white eyebrow. "Oh? And what might that be, my friend?"

"Down the river some seventeen miles from here, there is a place known as the Island of the Misfits. It is a small, enchanted island, unknown to all except those few who live there, and most of them are children. It is for them that I would ask this favor."

Santa narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed under his hat. "Strange that I have not heard of this island," he said. "But, if the children who live there have been good this year, I would be willing to grant their request. Please, tell me what it is."

"They wish only to have a real Christmas," Kurt said, "with real presents. You see, the enchantment makes it very dangerous for them to leave their island. Everything they have, they have had to make themselves from what little is available there. I am sure a few toys, and perhaps a few games would be enough to satisfy their wish."

Santa nodded thoughtfully, then peered at his list. Jamie, who was looking over his shoulder, gasped as a new row of names appeared as if by magic. Tiny checks appeared next to each of them. Santa re-read the new names, just to double-check, then he grinned, clapping Kurt on the shoulder.

"Well," he said, "it seems your friends will get their wish, Schwarzwald Kurt. This year, Christmas will come to the Island of the Misfits."

"Dankeschön, Herr Claus," Kurt said, his golden eyes alight with deep gratitude. "Vielen, vielen Dank! This will mean so much to them!"

"Hey, Fuzzy!" Wolverine's gruff voice butted in. "I'm set to send these Munchkins back to Oz if you don't get your tail over here and explain to them what I'm doin' here. 'Cause I'm not sure myself."

Schwarzwald Kurt excused himself politely and made his way over to the group of curious, though thoroughly intimidated elves that had gathered at what they felt was a safe distance from the Wolverine.

"It's really quite simple," Kurt explained. "After seven or eight teleports—I can't remember too clearly—both the Wolverine and I passed out from the strain. Fortunately, I awoke first and so was able to avoid his claws once he, too, opened his eyes. It turns out he was so impressed with my humble fencing skills that he decided it would be something of a waste to kill me—at least it would be until I was once again armed. So, we called a draw and came to an agreement. He agreed to accompany me and not to harm another living thing until I have managed to locate two new swords and we can have a rematch. If he breaks his word and kills me or someone else, he doesn't get his re-match and he must spend the rest of his long life alone and bored to tears." Kurt shrugged. "It's as simple as that."

"And you'll beat him next time, won't you Schwarzwald Kurt," Jamie stated with a grin.

"But of course!" Kurt grinned toothily, fixing the Wolverine with a look filled with confidence and challenge. The Wolverine just grunted and took a swig of sweet Christmas punch, swallowing it with obvious distaste.

Yukon blinked at the wild man. "You've agreed to all this just so you can have a re-match?" he asked, incredulous.

The Wolverine growled dangerously. "Hey, bub, why don't you try a year of total solitude with nothing to test your skill against but a couple of dried-up old squirrels. Then you can tell me if this deal looks any better to you."

"As much as I hate to break this up," Santa said, "it's time for me to get to work. Reindeer, take your places!"

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen paired up before Santa's freshly waxed sleigh. A small group of elves surrounded each reindeer, working quickly to get them strapped securely and comfortably into their bell-lined harnesses. Another group worked to open the large, garage-like double doors at the back of the room. A waft of freezing air swept the gathering, bringing with it an unexpected roll of dense fog.

All the chatter in the large room died at once. Santa stared in deep dismay at the gray swirls of rolling cloud tumbling about their feet. The fog blocked his view of the outside world rather better than a solid oak door.

"Oh, dear," he said, wringing his mittened hands in agitation. "There's no way we can take off in this soup. I—I'm afraid," he said with difficulty, "I'm afraid that if this fog doesn't lift in fifteen minutes, we'll have to cancel Christmas this year."

"Why?" Schwarzwald Kurt asked, genuinely confused.

Santa turned to him, incredulous. "Can't you see that fog? My reindeer can't be expected to fly in that!"

"They can if you put Rudolph at the head of the team," Schwarzwald Kurt pointed out with the air of someone who was stating the obvious.

"What?" Santa said, surprised.

"Who, me?" Rudolph asked in astonishment.

"Of course, you," Kurt grinned. "Show me one other reindeer in this room with a nose that can cut through this fog." He turned to Santa. "Herr Claus, Christmas won't have to be canceled as long as you have Rudolph to light your way. He's young, I know, but he has proved himself to be brave and trustworthy. You can depend on him to guide you right."

"I always did have a feeling about that young buck," Santa said thoughtfully. "All right. It's a plan. Rudolph!" he called.

"Yes, Santa?" the reindeer grinned excitedly.

"Take your place at the head of my team. We've got presents to deliver!"

"Yes, sir!" Rudolph beamed, his nose glowing with pride. Schwarzwald Kurt shot him a wink. Rudolph only beamed brighter.

As the elves hurried to get the young reindeer into a jingle-bell harness, Jamie noticed that the foggy room seemed to be wavering, as though he were looking at it through a glass of water. He blinked hard, then turned to Schwarzwald Kurt, who was rubbing at his glowing eyes and shaking his head. Just then, a strange sound began to hum in his ears, and an odd sensation of being pulled at by some invisible force caused his skin to tingle uncomfortably. He knew that feeling. It was the feeling he'd had just before he'd landed in the snow where he'd first met Rudolph. The uncomfortable tingle grew stronger and Jamie looked up to see a swirling vortex unfolding from the ceiling, opening wide to swallow him whole. He didn't even have time to cry out before the vortex yanked him out of Santa's Workshop and deposited him roughly on a carpeted floor. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a television set flickering to sudden life. Then, the world faded to black.


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Professor Xavier sat up in bed at the sound of a loud THUMP from downstairs. Shaking his head free of the remaining fragments of the odd dream he'd been having, he slid himself into his electronic wheelchair and headed for the elevator, looking to discover what had fallen and craving a large mug of warm milk with honey, vanilla, and nutmeg.

He could hear giggles, muffled voices, and deep chuckles the moment the elevator doors opened on the ground level. He wheeled down the corridor towards the recreation room, curious to see who was still awake at this late hour.

"I suppose that will teach us to roughhouse in a furnished room," a familiar, accented voice was laughing as Xavier poked his head through the open doorway. "I just hope nobody heard it."

"You didn't really like the Abominable best, did you, Mr. Logan?" Jamie Madrox asked as he watched his teachers, Kurt Wagner and Logan, easily heft the fallen sofa back into an upright position.

Logan peered at the boy through flinty eyes. "Well, he was the only one who recognized that blasted deer for what he was."

Jamie was confused. "What's that?" he asked.

Logan grinned wickedly. "Lunch meat."

Jamie gasped and threw a pillow at him. Logan caught it easily and arranged it on the sofa with a chuckle.

"Surely you felt some sympathy for Rudolph and the Misfit Toys," Kurt said. "After all, do we not face similar problems?"

Logan shrugged. "Maybe. But if you ask me, a dumb kids' flick is a dumb kids' flick, and it's even worse if it sticks you with some sappy moral message."

Kurt grinned. "Then why did you stay?"

Logan shot him a dark glare. "Maybe I wanted a beer," he said, raising a bottle from the coffee table and taking a long swig. Kurt chuckled and raised his own bottle, peering at the label. "This isn't exactly beer," he said. "It's ale."

"To ale," Logan toasted, reaching out to clink his bottle against Kurt's.

"To ale," the German agreed.

"To ginger ale!" Jamie grinned, lifting his can of soda to clink against each of their bottles.

"That's the spirit, kid." Logan nodded his approval as he took another swig.

....So.... the Professor thought as he watched all this unnoticed from the shadow of the doorway. ...That's it!...

Xavier sat back in his chair as flashes of his strange dream came flooding back to him. He smiled in amazement. The conversation he had just overheard explained the whole, bizarre episode. He must have been picking up on their subconscious emotions as they were drawn into the movie! Wolverine, obviously, was hostile to the whole idea of an animated children's film. Drawn in against his will, he had naturally appeared in his dream as a frustrated, angry creature. Kurt had apparently felt protective towards the characters as they set off on their adventures, manifesting in the Professor's unconscious as a rogue hero. His annoyance at Logan's attitude was probably what prompted the animosity they displayed towards one another in his dream. Jamie had felt a part of the film from the beginning, which was probably why he had taken Hermie's place at Rudolph's side. The rest had been a mixture of the film itself and the stray emotions and thoughts it had triggered as they viewed it.

The Professor shook his bald head in bemusement. This was definitely one he should enter in his dream log. Here was yet another example of the strange things that could happen when telepathy met up with the unconscious mind.

At that moment, all sounds of horseplay stopped. Looking up, the Professor realized he had been found out.

"Oh, Professor!" Kurt gasped, his wide eyes filled with concern and embarrassment. "Did we wake you?"

Jamie paled and tried to hide among the cushions behind Kurt's lashing tail. Logan just glared, daring him to say something about the bottle he held in his hand. The Professor had to smile.

"Well, not exactly, my friend," he assured the anxious Kurt. "I've been having some strange dreams. I thought I might just pop down to the kitchen for a moment to fix myself a mug of warm milk."

"A wise idea," Kurt nodded from his perch on the back of the sofa. "Would you like any help?"

He shook his head, his tone kind. "No, I'm fine. But, thank you, Kurt."

"Good night, Professor."

Logan smirked as the Professor backed away from the doorway and continued on his way to the kitchen.

"If you ask me, he's been spyin' on us," he said.

"Why would he do that?" Jamie asked.

Logan turned to him. "Maybe he was wondering why a squirt like you was still awake at almost twelve in the mornin'." he growled.

Jamie's eyes widened, but Kurt put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "It is getting late," he agreed. "Perhaps we all should be heading to bed."

"Nah," Logan waved him off. "I've gotta watch somethin' to wipe that kiddy slush from my brain before I can sleep," he grunted. He reached out and pulled a DVD from the collection on the shelf. "Maybe _Red Dragon_," he said.

"The new one? It is very good, but I don't think I could stay awake even for that," Kurt commented with a huge yawn that fully displayed his pointed teeth. Jamie grinned at the sight. Kurt flushed slightly behind his fur.

"Thanks for staying with me, Mr. Wagner," Jamie smiled up at him. "You too, Mr. Logan." Logan just grunted as he grabbed the remote and sat back on the sofa.

"Jamie, I would like to thank you for introducing me to such a sweet movie," Kurt said once the boy had turned back to him. "It has really helped to put me in the spirit of Christmas. I believe it did the same for Logan, though I know he would be loathe to admit it."

"You goin' to bed, Elf, or do I have to chase you away?" Logan growled from the depths of the sofa.

"You see," Kurt grinned. "It is just as I said."

Jamie laughed as Kurt skillfully dodged a flying pillow.

"Well, good night, guys," he said with a bright grin. "And Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Jamie," Kurt grinned in return. "May all your dreams be pleasant." Then, taking careful aim, he tossed the pillow back at Logan, who caught it full in the face. Before the burly Canadian could retaliate, Kurt was gone in a BAMF of sulfur-scented smoke.

Still laughing, Jamie scampered quickly from the room and headed upstairs to bed.

THE END ;D


End file.
